Arctostaphylos parryana
| Arctostaphylos parryana | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |   |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-6.5 |
| Evergreen | |
| Height: | 6' |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Arctostaphylos parryana (common name: parry manzanita)
Propagation: Seed - best sown in a greenhouse as soon as it is ripe. Pre-soak dried seed in boiling water for 10 - 20 seconds or burn some straw on top of them and then stratify at 2 - 5°c for 2 months[1][2]. The seed usually germinates in 2 - 3 months at 15°c[3]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a cold frame or greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant out in late spring or early summer.
Cuttings of side shoots of the current season's growth, 5 - 8cm with a heel, August to December in a frame. Takes one year[4][5].
Division in early spring. Take care because the plant resents root disturbance. Pot the divisions up and keep them in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame or greenhouse until they are growing away actively.
Layering in spring[2].
Cultivation: We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it could succeed outdoors at least in the milder parts of this country. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus.
Requires a deep moist well-drained light or medium lime-free loam in sun or semi-shade but plants produce less fruit when grown in the shade[2]. Prefers a position in full sun[1].
Plants resent root disturbance and should be placed in their final positions as soon as possible[3].
Range: South-western N. America.
Habitat: Dry stony slopes, 1200 - 2250 metres in California[6].
Edibility: The ground berry pulp is used as a food[7].
Usage: A yellowish-brown dye is obtained from the leaves, it does not require a mordant[8].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Rice, Graham. Growing from Seed Volume 2. Thompson and Morgan, 1988.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Sheat, Wilfrid. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. St Martin, 1948.
- ↑ Munz, David. A California Flora. University of California Press, 1959.
- ↑ Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ Grae, Ida. Nature's Colors. MacMillan Publishing, 1974.